Discover 8 fascinating facts about our country parks and places for Essex Day

Did you know that a great house, commissioned by John Barrett in 1526, used to dominate the Belhus Estate which included our park and the land that is now the golf course?

Recent Historic England research has confirmed the remains of Tudor and Jacobean gardens on part of the estate, and in the 1750s Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown planned landscaping of much of the grounds of the house, including a beautiful focal point referred to as the ‘Long Pond’.

Although now divided into two by the M25, the rounder top half of the Long Pond still exists and is home to newts, amphibians and other wildlife.

Landscape restoration work is currently taking place this autumn around the Long Pond (and at Hunts Hill Lake) to restore the wood pasture and 'park' landscape of the past, and boost biodiversity in the area for the future.

Read more about Belhus Woods Country Park.

Discover more through the history and activities tabs.

On 10 June 1381, rebels in Essex attacked Cressing Temple, where they destroyed the Manor House and looted the property. Intriguingly they did not attack the large barns on the site, which remain for visitors to enjoy today.

A funded project ‘The People of 1381’ has reconstructed the events leading to the attack and aftermath, drawing on both narrative sources and the legal records collected during the project.

Read more about the project and its findings.

Visitors to Cressing Temple Barns can also now explore centuries of history on foot with the new interactive 'Working Farm' heritage trails thanks to the Friends of Cressing Temple.

Designed to be fun and educational for all ages, the trails are fully accessible. Visitors can discover Cressing Temple Barns past through a series of characters that come to life by the touch of a button or via a QR code.

Visit Cressing Temple Barns and discover more about its rich history.

You might also like to read about the real-life locations from 'The Uprising' and the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in our blog.

Did you know the remains of a Tudor blockhouse, commissioned by Henry VIII in 1543 lies on the south bank of the mouth of the Colne estuary and is still just about visible today at low tide. It is now a scheduled monument.

The blockhouse was one of three structures located to protect the strategically important Colne estuary and is well documented because of its method of construction. Read more on Historic England.

Essex County Council’s Place Services recently held an archaeological dig of the blockhouse at Cudmore Grove Country Park.

The Colchester Archaeological Trust and their volunteers recovered a quantity of clay tobacco pipe, stems and bowls, many musket balls, some pistol balls and a beautiful complete bone comb.

Did you know that during the WWII, the owners of Danbury Palace (the Wigans) opened their doors to pregnant women from the East End of London and the mansion became a maternity hospital during the war years?

Approximately 2,000 babies where born there during this time and their families still visit the site today through The Danbury Society. 

There now stands a blue plaque to commemorate all the babies born there in the lawned border at Danbury Country Park.

Did you know that the park was created as part of the ‘self-sustainable’ development of Great Notley Village for the local community to enjoy – and as an all-important outside leisure space for residents of all ages?

Visit Great Notley Country Park and make the most of this open space with its luscious lakes, accessible paths and kid’s play trail.

Did you know that the landscapes at Hadleigh are important for a variety of rare flora and fauna – including the shrill carder bee?

This small (and very rare) bumblebee is now only found in a handful of locations in the UK, including large military ranges and unimproved pastures in Somerset, Gwent, Pembrokeshire, Glamorgan, and along the Thames corridor – including our very own park.

Hadleigh Country Park is proud to be home to this important pollinator.

Many years ago, some enchanting wooden sculptures mysteriously took up residence in the Deep, Dark Woods at Thorndon Country Park, and they’ve been delighting children and their families ever since.

The sculptures, based on the bestselling The Gruffalo books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, were the first to be licensed in England– with thanks to @MagicLightPictures.

Come visit us, and set your imaginations free at Thorndon Country Park, Essex.

Did you know that Weald Country Park was once the site of a major mansion, that was once owned by Sir Anthony Browne?

The Tuke family owned the estate for eight years and in 1548 it was sold to Sir Antony Browne, who is the most likely candidate to have built the core of the 16th century property, about 100 metres northwest of the church.

Browne was a regular at the court of Henry VIII and founder of Brentwood School. He assisted Thomas Cromwell in engineering the downfall of Anne Boleyn and during the reign of Mary Tudor and assisted with the persecution of Protestants.

Discover more about the fascinating history of Weald Country Park and its ever changing landscape. (See history tab on place page).

Take our Weald Discovery Heritage Trail.

Be aware of woodland management works taking place at Weald this winter.

Read more about the landscape restoration, what we are doing and why.